Not content to dispel the “myth” that Macs are impervious to malware last week, Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky is sounding the Mac malware alarm again this week. During the Info Security 2012 conference, he claimed that Apple is 10 years behind Microsoft on the security front.

“I think [Apple is] ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security,” Kaspersky told CBR. “For many years I’ve been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It’s always been possible to develop Mac malware, but [Flashback] was a bit different. For example, it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms.”

Kaspersky suggested that OS X’s relatively low incidence of malware over the last decade has caused Apple to fall behind, while the abundance of viruses, worms, and trojans targeting Windows forced Microsoft to step up its game.

There’s some truth behind that thinking—Windows 7 is by far the most secure operating system Redmond has built. But Apple hasn’t entirely rested on its laurels for the last ten years. The company has added malware detection to OS X, continued to remove default installs of popular exploit vectors like Flash and Java, and added features like address space layout randomization (ASLR) and sandboxing to prevent one application exploit from affecting the whole system.

Furthermore, Apple intends to improve security in the next version of OS X, dubbed Mountain Lion. Features like ASLR and sandboxing will have a more robust implementation in Mountain Lion. Meanwhile, Apple is also adding a new feature called GateKeeper, which allows users to limit software installs to either the Mac App Store or to only verified developers.

The recent hubbub over the Flashback trojan has certainly raised concerns over the security of OS X, and we agree that Apple could do more to be responsive to malware threats when they are discovered. But to suggest Apple is “10 years behind” belies the efforts it has made to secure the OS from different angles.

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Security firm claims Mac security is “10 years behind” Microsoft

Nefarious search engine optimizers be warned. Google is coming for you—again.

Following previous changes to Google’s ranking and page layout algorithms, the search giant is pushing yet another update to its algorithm this week with the hopes of curbing “black hat webspam” from creeping into search results.

The change will go live for all languages at the same time within the next few days, said engineer Matt Cutts in a blog post yesterday, and will affect roughly 3.1 percent of queries in English “to a degree that a regular user might notice.”

Cutts said the changes are targeted at sites engaged in tactics such as keyword stuffing, or “unusual linking patterns” where unrelated links are sprinkled throughout a fake or manufactured article. These sites might be harder to recognize than more blatant SEO offenses, but Google engineers believe that targeted sites “are engaging in webspam tactics to manipulate search engine rankings.”

As previously reported, there have been at least nine major updates to Google’s “Panda” algorithms since they were introduced last February, with numerous other tweaks along the way. In some cases, otherwise innocent sites were harmed, though this change is promised to affect a much smaller subset of visible search results.

Google’s quality guidelines outline just some of the discouraged tactics, which include hidden text or links, pages with irrelevant keywords, cloaking, and, of course, the presence of malicious software. That’s not to say all SEO is bad, however. Cutts points out that so-called white hat techniques are still fair game, and can often improve the usability of a site, “which is good for both users and search engines.”

As for packing every known pharmaceutical synonym into your site’s footer? That’s probably not as wise.

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Google’s new search algorithm to crack down on “black hat webspam”

It’s here! Precise Pangolin or, as it’s officially known, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Canonical’s latest is now available in its final(ish) form and ready for you to download, burn and install. While LTS (Long Term Support) releases are generally more conservative in their application of new features, Pangolin does include some rather notable tweaks. The most immediately noticeable will be the new log in screen which, while largely the same, does have the slick new trick of changing wall papers to match the selected user. A more subtle change is revealed once you’ve logged on and press alt — HUD. The new search-based menu system is quite a departure from traditional interaction models, and one that will come as a relief to those who constantly forget where a particular option is buried. Perhaps the most welcome change, though, is the vastly improved performance and power management. Ubuntu, for all of its finer points, has never been particularly battery friendly. But Canonical is promising that is going to change. We’ll have to wait to find out once we get this bad boy installed on some machines of our own. You know the drill, hit up the source link to download it for yourself, for free.

Update: Well, looks like all you Ubuntu fanatics have taken out the site temporarily. We’re sure it’ll be back soon but, in the meantime, you can still download the latest version of the OS here (magnet link).

Update 2: And they’re back! Also, we’ve now got PR after the break.

Continue reading Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin hits the web, with HUD in tow

That 802.11n router not keeping up with the gigabit pipe to your homestead? Netgear’s latest may just give you a much-anticipated boost. The R6300 Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router is the first to utilize Broadcom’s 5G WiFi IEEE 802.11ac chips, making it roughly three times faster than aging 802.11n. This means the R6300 could be an excellent fit for folks lucky enough to take part in Google’s Kansas City fiber experiment, assuming of course that they that also adopt yet-to-be-announced 802.11ac-compatible gadgets. For its part, the Netgear base ships with the usual suite of features, including Netgear Genie for configuring the network from a computer or smartphone, MyMedia with DLNA support, AirPrint (there’s two USB ports built-in) and pre-configured wireless security, keeping your hotspot off the neighbors’ radar right out of the box. The Netgear R6300 will ship next month, letting you future-proof your home for a mere $199.99.

Continue reading Netgear’s R6300 router is first to use Broadcom 802.11ac chipset, will ship next month for $200

Netgear’s R6300 router is first to use Broadcom 802.11ac chipset, will ship next month for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netgear’s R6300 router is first to use Broadcom 802.11ac chipset, will ship next month for $200

Converting a cellphone into a credit card reader is nothing new, but transforming one into a box office for live events could shake things up a bit — or, at least provide a bit of friendly competition for NFC-based alternatives. In Ticketing has just launched InHand Box Office software for use at live events. The company claims to be one of the greener ticketing outfits out there, and plans to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of wirelessly processing payments (and printing out paper receipts, unlike Square or PayPal Here) at independently run concerts or festivals. Potentially reducing time spent in line and preventing congestion at the entrance translates into more people inside the venue, and using your phone instead of a difficult-to-establish credit card merchant account should reduce the friction in throwing such an event. As long as you tend to carry the appropriate iDevice with In Ticketing’s new app installed, you can marry it to that iAPS Sled you see above to create your own personal CC processing machine. The only issues? Convincing Gotye to play your house party instead of Coachella next year, and that awkward lack of support for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

Continue reading In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS

In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they’re using iOS

The ride only lasts four or five seconds, but you’ll never forget it. The Insano at Beach Park in Porto das Dunas, Brazil has a 134 foot drop. It holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest waterslide in the world.

Pro tip: make sure that your swimming suit is firmly secured to your body.

Link -via American Digest | Photo: Entertainment Designer

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The World’s Tallest Waterslide Shoots You into a Pool at 65 MPH

With his use of Red cameras, 3ality rigs, and high frame rate 3D technology, no one can accuse Peter Jackson of being stuck in the past. Need more evidence of his anti-luddism? He just gave the first projection of footage from his 3D opus “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in its full 48 fps glory at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas. With the public having endured 80 years of 24 fps film-watching, Jackson appealed to viewers to allow their eyes to adjust to the doubled rate during the ten minute screening. But the reaction showed that public acceptance might take a while. One projectionist compared it to made-for-TV fare, and others referenced Mexican soap-operas and TruMotion. The reply to these criticisms by Jackson (and James Cameron) has always been that 3D is better suited to faster frame rates than 2D — making it more immersive, reducing headaches and improving stereoscopy. We’ll have to wait for the film’s release this December to find out whether he’s right, or if this attempt at high frame speeds will go the way of Showscan.

Frame rate debate rages on with 48 fps projection of 3D Hobbit footage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frame rate debate rages on with 48 fps projection of 3D Hobbit footage